The Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW) is a world leading clinical academic group that aims to advance knowledge of the psychobiological, genetic and social causes and consequences of eating and weight disorders, and to use that knowledge to develop new and better treatments.

We work closely with patients and carers, our clinical colleagues in the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and our partners from the NIHR Maudsley BRC Theme on Eating Disorders and Obesity and many others national and international collaborators.

Our mission is:

• To address research questions that matter to all people affected by eating and weight disorders.
• To provide a flourishing culture, critical mass, multi-disciplinary expertise & infrastructure to accelerate the depth, quality & speed of knowledge generation. Specifically, we want to attract, develop and engage in large national and international projects.
• To have the agility to respond to new societal challenges (e.g. food insecurity) and new opportunities (artificial intelligence, new technologies).
• To build on and strengthen our existing collaborative networks with academic, clinical, industry and Lived Experience partners. Specifically we want to develop collaborations with diverse clinical academic groups including those involved in weight related disorders.
• To produce the next generation of research leaders in eating and weight disorders. Specifically, we want to attract and develop talented early career researchers from both inside and outside the UK.
• To influence UK policy and practice in relation to research, treatment, services and training in eating and weight disorders.

Our flagship research projects

These include EDCRN, EDIFY and ESTRA, several novel treatment trials, such as non-invasive neuromodulation trials (RAISE and MINDED) and a psylocybin and forthcoming ketamine trial and the STORY study, our ambitious longitudinal cohort study. For a full list of current projects see details under the project tab.

Our selected impacts

These include the national roll out of FREED, our early intervention model; the development and dissemination of MANTRA, a NICE recommended therapy for adults with anorexia nervosa; development and dissemination of carer interventions; and the PEACE Pathway for people with neurodiversity and eating disorders.

CREW researchers have led the eating disorders task force of the World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry to update the international guidelines on the pharmacological treatment of eating disorders, and are currently developing an international consensus statement on the clinical use of biological markers in anorexia nervosa.

Our training programmes

Members of CREW lead national training programmes for clinicians, commissioned by Health Education England, such as Whole Team Training for Specialist Adult ED teams and MANTRA – for information on how to register contact Maudsley Learning. We also offer additional ad hoc training in FREED, PEACE and other topics.